In most circumstances, the driver of a vehicle (e.g., a car, truck, SUV, or other vehicle) has adequate visibility to permit the safe operation of his or her vehicle. Despite this, however, drivers commonly encounter situations in which their ability to see the vehicle's path and obstacles within the vehicle's path may be less than perfect.
A variety of obstacle detection and avoidance (“ODA”) systems have been developed that alert a driver to obstacles near or within the vehicle's projected path and thereby minimize the likelihood of collision. For example, ODA systems may employ a camera and one or more sensors (e.g., infrared, ultrasonic, or radar sensors, or any combination thereof) that monitor the vehicle's path and alert the driver to any obstacles detected therein by producing audible and visual alerts. However, it may be preferable in some instances to provide additional warnings or other measures, and/or to allow the driver to override such an ODA system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an obstacle detection and avoidance system configured to effectively alert a driver of an obstacle and the likelihood of collision therewith, and that can allow drivers to override the system in certain situations. Furthermore, other desirable features and functions of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.